The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

"Take one more step forward, and you'll be the one I cut down."

Aaron slumped to the ground, staring at the bottomless crack before him, then looked up in shock and anger at Toritoma, who remained expressionless.

And Gern, whose gaze hadn't changed at all from beginning to end, finally felt a chilling coldness overwhelm his anger, his body stiffened, and he dared not make any further rash moves.

Jinbe, who was standing to the side, saw all of this and sighed heavily in his heart.

So he stepped forward, standing between Aaron and Gern, and said in a deep voice, "General Gern, please calm down."

Ah Long... he was just too emotional.

Only then did Guern turn his gaze away from the stone tablet and look at Jinbe and the now-composed Arlong, saying calmly, "Qualification is not something you define."

"I respect Tiger as a true liberator."

He made his choice and paid the price. That's all.

Chapter 362 Tiger's spirit is admirable.

Upon hearing Guern's dismissive reply, "That's all," Aaron seemed to find it a joke, collapsing to the ground and letting out a maniacal, cold laugh.

"That's all? Hahaha... What a fine 'that'! Gern! Didn't you keep saying that Fishman Island was under your protection?!"

Where were you when Tiger was ambushed by the Navy on Forsythe Island and was critically wounded and dying?!

Why didn't you lend a hand?! Now that the person is dead, you come here to hypocritically offer condolences?!

You humans are hypocritical and despicable..."

Before Ah Long's curses had even finished, an invisible pressure slammed down on him!

This is the pinnacle of Conqueror's Haki from Gern, precisely targeted at him alone!

"Ugh!" Ah Long's arrogant voice came to an abrupt halt, as if he had been shoved into the ground by an invisible giant hand.

His entire face was pressed against the cold ground of the Sea Forest, unable to move even a finger, and he could only let out painful whimpers.

"Why shouldn't I lend a hand? Heh." Gern slowly turned his head, his usually slightly lazy eyes now as cold as ice.

He walked step by step toward Ah Long, who was being held down tightly, each step feeling as if it were treading on Ah Long's heart. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was as powerful as thunder.

"Don't I have any protection?"

"After Tiger caused havoc in the Holy Land, I had already clearly informed Neptune."

As long as Tiger stays on Fishman Island, no one can touch him!

The navy is no good, and the world government is even worse!

I said it!

“But…” He looked down at Aaron, who seemed like an ant, “Tiger doesn’t want to owe me anything!”

He was even more unwilling to let the entire Fishman Island fall into crisis because of his own actions!

Therefore, filled with guilt and pride, he chose to lead you away from Fishman Island, form the Sun Pirates, and face the storms of the outside world on his own!

This was his own choice, a man's choice!

"Furthermore!" Gern's voice suddenly became even colder and harder: "Listen to me carefully!!"

I, Gern, am not your nanny from Fishman Island!

We have no obligation to follow you around like babys and protect each and every one of you!

My protection is meant to provide Fishman Island as a whole with a relatively safe living space, not to make me a bodyguard for each of you!

Towards the end, Gern's tone even carried a hint of murderous intent: "In other words, if I wanted to... Fishman Island, I could easily 'suppress' it."

The word "suppression" struck Jinpei's heart like a heavy hammer, causing his pupils to shrink to pinpoints and his whole body to tremble violently.

He knew all too well what those two words meant when they came out of Gern's mouth!

That was by no means a simple matter of military control; it meant the complete overthrow of the existing regime.

The royal family of Dragon Palace will be purged, Fishman Island will be directly taken over by Gern's forces, and all autonomy will be wiped out!

Especially... given Gern's current power in the New World and the military strength of G-10, he is fully capable of doing it!

And so, almost without hesitation, in the instant that Ah Long was stunned by the word "suppression" and the pressure on him eased slightly...

Jinbe took a sudden step forward, his immense power containing both anger at Jinbe's incompetence and extreme fear, and swung his huge, webbed hand.

"Slap!!!" An extremely heavy slap landed hard on Ah Long's face!

The terrifying force sent Ah Long spinning through the air several times before he collapsed like a tattered sack.

It slammed heavily into the ground, even creating a human-shaped crater in the hard rock!

"Pfft!" Ah Long suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, which even contained a few broken teeth. Half of his face swelled up instantly, and he almost fainted.

Jinbe didn't even glance at the pitiful Arlong. He immediately turned to Gern, bowed deeply, and said earnestly, "General Gern! I am so sorry!"

Ah Long is ignorant, arrogant, and spouting nonsense! Please calm down!

I swear on my life, he will never offend you again!

If he dares to do it again... I... I will kill him with my own hands!

At this moment, for the survival and future of Fishman Island, Jinbe demonstrated the decisiveness and responsibility of a "Knight of the Sea," even going so far as to take such a heavy blow against his former comrade.

"Heh." Gern merely glanced coldly at Aaron, whose fate was unknown, lying in the deep pit.

He glanced at Jinbe, who was still bowing with his forehead almost touching the ground, and slowly the terrifying aura of dominance emanating from him subsided.

He said nothing more, but turned and stood silently once more facing Fisher Tiger's memorial.

After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke, his voice clearly reaching Jinbe and Arlong, who had barely managed to climb out of the pit.

“Fischer Tiger…he is a ‘liberation fighter’ whom I admire from the bottom of my heart.”

"As a member of a race that has suffered immense oppression, a 'native'..."

He was capable of performing feats such as climbing the Red Line alone with his bare hands, single-handedly storming Mary Geoise, the pinnacle of world power, freeing slaves, and even personally killing the Celestial Dragons who called themselves 'gods'..."

"What's needed here goes far beyond mere courage."

This is the courage to shake the world order, the determination to defy fate, and the spirit of sacrifice to light the way for others even at the cost of one's own life.

Gern's gaze swept over Jinbe, whose expression was complex, and Arlong, whose face was still full of resentment but dared not speak again.

"Tiger's spirit is complete, fervent, and a liberating flame that can illuminate an era."

"However, it is a pity... this spirit does not seem to have been truly passed down."

His gaze shifted between Jinbe and Arlong.

"The two of you are like two sides of Tiger's split personality."

“A person who inherited Tiger’s ‘benevolence’ and ‘righteousness’, knows how to weigh things, understands the big picture, and is willing to endure, compromise, and even bear the infamy for the survival of the race as a whole.”

"One of them inherited Tiger's extreme 'hatred' and 'resistance,' but twisted it, infinitely expanding the hatred against the Celestial Dragons and the World Government to all of humanity, leaving only extremism, violence, and the desire for destruction."

After saying that, Gern took one last look at Tiger's tombstone, as if bidding a final farewell.

Without lingering, he turned and gestured to Toritoma, then the two slowly departed amidst complex emotions.

Only Jinbe remained, stunned, and Arlong lay on the ground, his eyes filled with a mixture of resentment and confusion.

And that stone tablet that stands quietly, telling of unfulfilled ideals.

Chapter 363 The Knight of the Sea!

Not long after Gern and the Snake Princess left...

"Pah!!" Ah Long struggled to get up from the ground, spitting out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

Gazing in the direction where Gern had left, his eyes still held an unyielding resentment and disdain, as he muttered under his breath, "Just a pretentious human!"

"Arlong!!" Jinbe suddenly turned around and shouted, "Do you know what kind of disaster you almost caused?!"

You almost brought annihilation to the entire Fishman Island!

"Hmph! Trouble? What can he do to us?" Ah Long wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a mocking sneer on his face, and pointed in the direction Gern had left. "He was just trying to scare you!"

Jinbe, you've been fooled! Have you forgotten? He's a Devil Fruit user! He's barely able to save himself in this deep ocean!

Do they really dare to use force on Fishman Island and carry out some kind of 'suppression'? Aren't they afraid of drowning here first?!

His so-called 'suppression' is nothing but a bluff!

Looking at Arlong's confident demeanor, as if he had seen through everything yet remained unrepentant, Jinbe felt a chill in his heart.

Aaron completely misunderstood the true meaning of "repression" in Gern's words.

Ah Long thought it was just a physical conquest by force, but he didn't understand how power and politics worked at all.

Jinbe sighed heavily, trying to use his last bit of patience to awaken his misguided brother: "Arlong, I know..."

I know you suffered terribly in prison, and Tiger's passing caused you immense grief, which is why you...

"Shut up, Jinbe!" Arlong rudely interrupted him. "You have no right! You have no right to lecture me on behalf of Tiger!"

You chose to bow down to humanity; you are a traitor!

Looking at Arlong's deep-seated, irreconcilable hatred, and his obsessive nature that could explode at any moment and drag the entire Fishman Island into the abyss.

The last trace of hesitation in Jinbe's eyes vanished, and he immediately took a deep breath, his gaze instantly becoming serious.

The giant hand quietly closed, and the surrounding seawater seemed to be drawn together by an invisible force, beginning to gather in its palm.

In the next instant, Jinbe's massive body unleashed an astonishing speed that was disproportionate to his size!

"Fishman Karate - Sealing Flow!"

With a low shout, Jinbe instantly appeared in front of Arlong!

Before Ah Long could react, the giant, webbed hand had already pressed precisely onto his face!

It wasn't a simple physical attack; a precisely controlled stream of water, like the strongest shackles, instantly seeped in and sealed Ah Long's mouth, nose, and even vocal cords.

Not only did it render him unable to speak, but a supple yet powerful force also suppressed his entire body's ability to move!

"Ugh...!!" Arlong's eyes bulged out, filled with disbelief and rage, but he could only let out muffled sobs. His body trembled violently under Jinbe's absolute power and control, but he was unable to break free.

Jinbe looked at Arlong struggling in his palm, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes, but more so an undeniable determination.

"Ah Long... I'm sorry."

Suppressed by Jinbe's "Sealing Stream" technique, Arlong was unable to speak or move. He clearly felt the undisguised killing intent emanating from Jinbe!

Especially considering that Jinbe's words to Gorn earlier, promising to "kill him with my own hands if he offends me again," echoed in his ears like a curse.

In an instant, Arlong finally realized that Jinbe was serious this time!

He truly intended to kill himself!

The fear of death instantly shattered Ah Long's previous arrogance and obsession.

He didn't want to die! He still wanted revenge on humanity; he absolutely couldn't die such a miserable death at the hands of his own brothers!

"Ugh! Ugh!!!" Ah Long began to struggle frantically, his eyes filled with fear and pleading, no longer the anger and resentment he had shown before.

Feeling Arlong's desperate, relentless struggle beneath his grasp, Jinbe's hardened heart trembled slightly.

After all, they were brothers who had gone through life and death together under Tiger's command... The scenes of those shared experiences flashed through my mind.

Jinbe then released the water control that was sealing Arlong's mouth, nose, and vocal cords.

But the enormous hand remained like an iron clamp, tightly gripping Ah Long's neck, holding him firmly in place to prevent him from lashing out or escaping.

The moment he regained his ability to speak, Ah Long practically screamed.

"Stop! Stop! Stop it! Jinbe! Stop it!"

"We...we're brothers! It was Tiger who brought us together! Have you forgotten?!"

"Brother Tiger... he would never want to see you lay a hand on me! Absolutely not! Jinbe!"

"I...I was wrong! I'm leaving! I'm leaving Fishman Island! I'm not staying in the New World! No! I'm going straight to the Four Seas."

I'll go to the most remote, deserted corner, and I promise I'll never come back to cause you or Fishman Island any more trouble!!

"Please, Jinbe! Tiger told you to take care of everyone... We're brothers!!"